Why Potter?
by clarausten
Summary: As the Marauders enter a new year, James sets out to fulfill his dream: to get Lily Evans. Lily, for her part, is just trying to get away from James. What will happen when they both become Heads?
1. Rejected

She always felt like such a bad person every time she rejected James Potter. What was wrong with her? She liked him, so much. And yet she couldn't bring herself to say yes to any of his offers. Instead, she gave him a disdainful look, and kept on walking with her friends. None of them knew that she fantasized about him for hours at a time. The problem was, she could never bring herself to understand that the guy who asked her out every other day, with a hopeful expression on the face that never seemed to lose his coolness, was the same guy after whom a dozen girls trailed every single day, along with his other popular friends. Even her own friends liked Potter and his friends, though they pretended not to, since none of them knew that she actually did like him. A lot.

Last time he asked had been difficult to decline. She had been tempted to say, "Yes, of course I'll go out with you! I've only loved you since the first time I set eyes on you!" Instead, though, she just said no, and both of them just kept walking, as if none of them cared. Neither of them knew how much they did. It had almost become a game. For James, to ask her out every time he saw her, and for Lily, to fight her temptations and say no every single time.

The problem was that Lily wasn't sure if Potter really liked her. He looked so careless all the time, as if the only reason he was asking her was to impress everyone. As he was always showing off, this could be a great possibility. There were times, though, when she could swear she saw the hope leave his eyes, when she said no to his offers. Her friends, though, simply thought it was funny, and they giggled silly every time it happened.

_You're going to be spending a lot more time with him this year, and you are so happy about this, despite the fact that you act as if this were the worst thing that could ever happen. _

_That is not true; I don't want to spend more time with Potter. Hello, who in their right mind would want that? Well, besides all the other girls in this school, I mean. _

The fact that was going through the Hogwarts Express right now was that Lily Evans and James Potter had been made Head Girl and Boy. No one wondered about Lily, but James being made Head Boy was really amazing. He hadn't even been a prefect! And he had been most known for doing endless pranks on innocent first and second years. He and Sirius were known as the most troublesome kids in the whole school. How did he get chosen as Head Boy?

Trying to stop those thoughts and how much she was missing Potter, she didn't realize there had been someone in the hall of the train, following her. She stopped in her tracks, and turned around. Looking at her with a dumfounded expression was James Potter himself.

Lily Evans looked beautiful, as always. There was something like a guilty expression on her face, which soon was replaced with an annoyed one, the one she always put on when James was present. Even she couldn't take it off, it was automatically done.

"What do you want, Potter?" she asked, a little irritated. The truth was that she was a little embarrassed that James had caught her thinking about him. She had a habit of talking to herself, without knowing she was doing it. She fervently hoped that she hadn't been doing so.

"Well, Evans, I'm glad we've had this friendly encounter! I happen to be going to the same place you are. I don't know if you remember the small meaningless fact that I am Head Boy, and you are Head Girl. I'm sure you are blissful over the excitement of spending many hours of patrolling we will have to do together this year," he said happily.

She barely had a moment to remember that he was right; she had forgotten the "small meaningless fact" that he was going to be Head Boy, and that they were now going to spend more time together, as he had said. She was, inside, as happy as he about it, but of course she wasn't going to let him know that.

"Fine," she said grudgingly. "Let's just go and get it over with."

She tried to ignore the many girls that gaped at James as they went to give the prefects their tasks. They did so awkwardly, so much that the new prefects noticed something was off. It was mostly Lily who talked, though, since she was the one with experience.

As he walked back to his compartment, James thought about the great opportunity that fate had given him. Now, he had a great excuse to spend more time with Lily, and maybe in those many hours of night patrolling, he could convince her that they were meant for each other. He knew he could! He only had to work hard at it!

When Lily got back to her compartment, she told her two best friends about her "incident" with Potter. Alicia and Olivia were back to their "he so likes you" comments. They got back to them every year. This year, however, Lily hoped they would have more to talk about than rumors, such as there usually were flying around the school. Unfortunately, Potter was so used to her denials that it would be hard to convince him she was speaking the truth. And it would be hard to convince herself that James was not kidding around every time he asked her out.

As James told Sirius about meeting Lily on the way to the prefects' compartment, he started trying to dissuade him on the idea of Lily once again. This, as Alicia and Olivia's comments, always began at the start of the school year, when James started to get distracted because of Lily. Sirius personally thought it was stupid to waste his time on Lily when James could have his pick of girls all over the school, and he told Harry so. Harry, personally, didn't think so, and just shook his head, as if saying "you don't understand," when Sirius mentioned this.

It was quite understandable for James to think so. Sirius was the official heartbreaker of the Marauders. He went out with any girl, and simply broke up with her the next day. Everyone was used to it, and it was almost expected procedure. James just flirted with those girls, and although they all dreamed he could like one of them especially, they all knew he had his heart set on Lily.

As the other Marauders came in, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, and saw James's distressed face, and Sirius's convincing face, they knew what was up. All of them knew about James's love for Lily, though none of them could understand why Evans of all people, who had hated him since the first time he asked her out.

At that time, a girl came in the compartment. She was beautiful, with long black hair and deep blue eyes. However, as soon as she saw the boys' surprised faces, she blushed, realizing she had made a mistake.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought…," she started to say. "Sorry," she said again, and left the compartment.

The Marauders looked at each other, mesmerized. It wasn't only because of her beauty, but because she hadn't tried to flirt with them, like all the others. When they saw her get in the next compartment, they realized that she had indeed made a mistake, and that she wasn't only pretending.

"Well, we better put on our robes, we're about to get there," said Remus. With that, they all silently started to gather their robes from their trunks.

As the train came to a stop, the name going around was _Lord Voldemort_. No one wanted to believe it, but the rumor was that a new dark wizard was rising, and that he was recruiting followers, calling themselves Death Eaters.

No one was sure about this. The Marauders, especially, weren't worried for now. It was one of the few bad qualities they had: they wouldn't believe something until it hit them in the face. Peter was the only one who was a little afraid, but since he was a follower, after seeing the rest of them unworried, he-as always- decided to follow their footsteps. For now, they were both immersed in their own things: James in Lily, Sirius in the dark-haired girl, Remus in his books, and Peter- well, whatever the other Marauders were immersed in.

As they went through the path going through Hogwarts, though, they realized that others were very worried about this. Everyone had different stories to tell.

"My grandmother told me that Voldemort came to her neighbor's house this summer, and then she never saw them again," said a fourth year Hufflepuff.

"Shh! Don't say his name! They say that he is so powerful that whenever his name is said, he hears it," her friend said. Immediately, the first girl got very quiet.

"So do you think we should be worrying?" said James to Sirius.

"Us? Yeah, sure," he replied.

"Guys, I think this is serious. I mean, you never know, do you? We all have wizard families, none of us are muggles, which means that if Voldemort really is as powerful as they say, he may come knocking in our doorstep any day, don't you think?" said Remus, the only one actually worrying about this.

"But, Moony, I'm sure he's still not powerful enough to do that. Do you really think that he could beat a whole family of good wizards?" asked James, who didn't want to show that what Remus said was making sense.

"Prongs, I am very sorry to say this, but hear me out: surely Voldemort has followers already. There are many who would actually be honored to be a part of his "team,"' finished Remus.

"Fine, then, let me say one thing: I am glad Evans lives in a muggle place. That way she won't be in danger," said James, unsurprisingly.

"James, you are truly hopeless, and you know it."


	2. Worried

Chapter 2

In the Great Hall, as the scared-looking first years got sorted into their respective houses, James and the rest of the Marauders sat there, thinking about what could happen with a new dark wizard. They knew what had happened when other dark wizards were in power, and they wondered if the new one could really be as powerful.

James was watching Lily with her friends Olivia and Alicia. She was laughing about something, and he was thinking how much he adored those dimples of hers when someone bumped into him. Very annoyed at having been interrupted, he slowly turned. He saw Severus Snape wearing a smug smirk on his face. Unfortunately, Dumbledore had started making his speech, so he couldn't offer any verbal insult. He had his wand, though, and with that he muttered something under his breath, and suddenly Snape's head started to swell to an extraordinary size. The Slytherin table started inching away from him, until he touched his head and his face got a… unusual color. To his dismay, people started snickering, especially the Gryffindor table. Searching it with his eyes, Snape finally found the Marauders, who weren't trying very hard to hold their laughter. He looked at James with a look of pure hatred that would intimidate anyone. Everyone except James, that is. He simply smiled innocently, something which infuriated Snivellus even more. Professor McGonagall flicked her wand, and Snape's head began to shrivel to its original size.

Quickly, after a stern glare to the Gryffindor table, Dumbledore continued his speech. After saying all the usual stuff about the Forbidden Forest, he remained silent. Everyone patiently – or impatiently – waited for him to clap his hands so the food would appear on the gold plates, but he didn't do anything. Finally, he put on a very serious face and drew a deep breath.

"Students, I have to say something that will perhaps upset some of you," he started. "However, I must continue and announce this. Many rumors have been spreading about the existence of a new dark wizard. Although most of you believe that they are only rumors, that this Lord Voldemort does not exist, or that he isn't really as powerful as people are saying. I am sorry to say that I do not believe this. Indeed, I have heard the usual rumors. And I believe some of them. I do think that Voldemort will become quite powerful, and that he is gathering many followers who will gladly do his bidding. Do not think that muggle houses are not in danger. Do not rest in the knowledge that your parents are not wizards, because you may very well be in danger as well." He made a pause. "The Death Eaters, as they are calling themselves," he continued, "are doing anything and everything to gather more followers. And it is quite possible that some of us will be singled out. I only wish to say that if this indeed does happen, we will have enough courage to say no to this." He stopped. The effect was striking. All eyes were on him, not daring to part away, and waiting for what he had to say next. Dumbledore's gaze went all around the Great Hall, worried. Finally, he said, "And now, let me not distress your first night in Hogwarts in this brand new school year, and move on to a lighter topic: eating!" He clapped his hands, and everyone kept silent for a moment before turning to their food.

Peter was fidgeting with his food, nervous as always. He kept looking at the others to see if they would say anything. As always, he wouldn't take the initiative to start a conversation himself.

"Peter, would you stop doing that? It's getting me annoyed," said Sirius. Peter stopped immediately, only to look even more nervous. "Well, that takes a weight off our mind, doesn't it?" remarked Sirius sarcastically, referring to Dumbledore's talk. "And Moony, you really don't need to say 'I told you so.'"

"Wasn't going to," he replied. "Look at the Slytherin table, it doesn't even look worried. It actually looks happy that a new dark time is beginning to rise! How could they? They don't know what we're in for, they really don't."

"You know, Remus, I believe you, completely. It's strange, though; we haven't talked it over much at home have we? I mean, you would think this was important enough to talk about in your family, but apparently not," said James.

"Maybe they don't want to face it. Honestly, who would want to?" said Remus.

"But if Dumbledore, who is considered the greatest wizard of our time, is so worried as to talk for a whole five minutes about it on the first day back, it's got to be serious, right? He usually just welcomes everyone back, and gives the whole speech about how it is extremely dangerous to go into the Forbidden Forest, and that anyone that does will be faced with suspension, and so on. Never about something like this. I really believe I might take around ten minutes to think about this…. sometime this year," he said jokingly.

Remus shook his head reproachingly, and Peter did something between laughing, giggling, and gagging that was quite unintelligible. Sirius looked at him disgustingly, as if unable to comprehend how he could be friends with such a person. Then, they decided to move on to less serious topics, like how wonderful the spell that James had performed on Sirius had been. Fortunately, everyone agreed.

As dinner came to an end, Lily got to thinking about how grave the Marauders had looked right after Dumbledore had spoken. It seemed as if they were genuinely worried about this Voldemort.

i Well, if they are upset about this, then I guess I should be as well i/ , she thought.

Then, the Headmaster put his hands together, and all the dirty plates disappeared, and made room for, once again, shiny gold ones.

"And with this wonderful food in all your tummies, we go to our dormitories! Off you all go!" he said enthusiastically. Lily grinned and suddenly remembered that she was Head Girl, and was supposed to guide the Gryffindors, along with the prefects. Then, she also remembered that Potter was Head Boy. She was about to go look for him when she received a tap on the shoulder. Turning, she saw none other than James, with a smug look on his face. Exactly the look that she hated, the one that could make her put on her most annoyed face. She tried to put on a nicer face, but her muscles would simply not let her. She quit on it, and put on, instead, a sarcastic smile for Potter.

"Well, at least you remembered one of your duties. Hopefully this will keep going for some time, at least. Though I won't expect it, don't worry," she said dryly.

"You know, Evans, the faith you have in me is inspiring. It truly is. I wish everyone was that honest and had so much faith in me. The world would really be a better place," he replied, hoping that would draw a smile from her. It made his day when she smiled slowly, and quickly tried to hide it.

"Well, now that I know you are human and not immune to my charms, Lily, let's go show these first years their dormitories, shall we?" he said happily.

"What are you talking about, not immune to your charms, Potter? I hate people who think they are better than anybody else, and you are number one on my list!" and with that, she stormed off, leaving a flabbergasted James behind.

i Why do I always have to do something to make her mad? It always ends up the same way, always, and I can't do anything about it! i/ 

i Why can't I ever relax around him? i/ thought Lily. i It's not as if he doesn't try. He didn't even try to ask me out this time! i/ 

After making sure the prefects were doing their job, Lily and James headed off to their dormitories. Awkwardly, Lily tried to compose an apology.

"Um, Potter, I'm sorry for what I said about you thinking you were better than everyone. I mean, you do think you are better than everyone, but I didn't have to say it to your face or anything. Anyway… ok, see you tomorrow," not knowing what else to say, she made her way to the girls' dorms. She left James feeling quite better than before. Sure, she hadn't even called him by his first name, and she wasn't an expert at apologies, but it was something… wasn't it?


	3. Doubt

Chapter 3 – Doubt

i Not one of those dreams again! /i thought James. He slowly woke up, only to remember part of his dream. A dark shadow slithering around the streets, and just when he raised his wand in front of a door, James woke up. It had been bothering him for quite a while.

"Prongs, you were screaming out in your dreams. Besides waking all of us up, you seemed to be in… discomfort, shall we say?" said Sirius.

James realized they were all staring at him very hard, as if about to ask him what the matter was. Sirius was looking undecided as to whether make a joke of it or take it seriously.

"I don't know what it was, but whatever, it doesn't really matter," he said, not wanting to make a big deal out of it. Instead, he started telling them about what Lily had said to him the day before. The marauders all interestedly put their heads together, and when James was done, they were in complete awe.

"Well done, Prongs!"

"You were bound to get there someday, our little Jamesie, we just weren't very sure of when!"

"That's awesome, James, now you can ask her out!" That, as is obvious, was Peter. James sobered up.

"No, Peter, I've already done that too many times. I have to prove to her that I am responsible and trustworthy. "

While Peter looked guilty, and shocked at seeing James so serious, Sirius fell to the floor and started cracking up.

"I'm sorry, Prongs, but I have never seen you so serious!" He said in between short breaths. "Really, it's not that I think you aren't responsible, it's just…. so….funny!" He tried to explain, seeing James's confused and offended face. Slowly, James started to laugh.

"I guess it must have been pretty funny, huh? When you fall for a girl, Padfoot, let's see how you will sound, and see if I don't make fun of you then!" He said half-jokingly.

"Me? Seriously fall for a girl like you have? If you think that, Prongs, then you really don't know me," he said, still laughing. "After all, I am Sirius Black."

As the Marauders were finishing breakfast, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Mr. Potter? Ms. Evans? Will you please follow me, seeing as you are done?" He said.

James and Lily exchanges a quick glance before standing up and following Dumbledore.

After what seemed an eternity of stairs and twisted corridors, Professor Dumbledore stopped before a painting and turned around.

"Well, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans, I am sure you are wondering what this is all about," he said, looking at the expectant faces. "You see, every year, the head Boy and the Head Girl share a dorm. Last night, I realized you both looked very tired, and even worried, so I decided to simply let you sleep. Now, though, I must tell you, since I have already asked the house elves to move your entire luggage to the dorms. You will each have a room, and share a common room." He stopped for a while, looking amused at Lily's gaping face. Realizing what she was doing, she tried to revise her face and act as if she had known about this all along.

Stealing a quick glance at James, she saw, with disgust, that he was smirking as always, seeming to really enjoy this moment. Once he caught Lily's disgusted face, though, he tried to put on a more neutral face.

When they realized that Dumbledore was still there, waiting patiently, for them to turn their attention back to him, they quickly tried to hide their emotions. He smiled, turned their back to them, and uttered what seemed to be the password, "Sherbet lemon." Slowly, the knight in the painting bowed, and it slowly started moving, giving way to the most beautiful room they had ever seen, draped with gold and red everywhere. It seemed as if there was two of everything. Two couches, two tables, two huge lamps…

"Ahem," said Dumbledore, making them, once again, notice he was still there. "Well, that is it. I hope you gotten the password?" he said, tilting his head while asking. He nodded after Lily said it. "Well, I'll leave you here to get familiarized with it. You should be going to your… potions class, is it?" he asked, checking his watch.

Lily and James, not bothering to ask how he knew they had potions first class, nodded once again.

"Well, you should be going there in about fifteen minutes, once you've looked at your own rooms, and seen everything in here. Enjoy!" He disappeared, leaving the Heads quite confused.

"It'll be hard to remember the way here," mumbled Lily.

Encouraged that she had spoken without seeming disgusted by him, James said, "Don't worry, I remember the way." More under his breath, he muttered, "It's not like I haven't been here before." Unintentionally, Lily heard this, and chose not to say anything about it.

They walked in tentatively, and Lily opened the door to the room that had her name written in it, and gasped. She was completely speechless. This room had everything she had ever wanted.

She turned to see James wearing the same expression on his face. Smiling, she called out, "Ten more minutes and we have to go to the Great Hall."

"Sure, Evans. Is your room as great as mine, by the way? Because mine is just, wow," he muttered, more to himself than for her.

"Yeah, my room is pretty awesome. I love it. It must have a certain charm on it that allows the owner to have exactly what they want for a room. How 'bout you, Potter?"

"That does make sense. But then again, Evans, when do you not make sense? Except when you don't accept my dates, that's around the only time you don't make sense, and I'm sure the whole school would agree with me on that one. Since we're at it already, you want to go out with me, Lily?" He asked, hopeful once more.

i Should I say yes and make the guy happy? Or should I just say no, as always? Because the only reason I would say yes is because he looks so pathetic and hopeful, not because I actually want to go out with him. He also said that I don't make sense when I reject him! Honestly! /i 

i b Yes, I'm sure that's why, Lily dear. I definitely see many reasons why you wouldn't want to go out with James Potter, the greatest Quidditch player this school has ever seen, and a guy who has been pining for you since first year. No, I really see no reasons at all. /i /b 

Some five feet away, James was seeing Lily struggle and was very, very happy.

i Will she say yes? Finally? At the beginning of seventh year, will the girl of my dreams finally say yes to a date, in which I can show her I'm not what she is always calling me? Will she? Will we have the rest of our seventh year together, as a happy couple? /i 

i b Now, James, let's not get our hopes up! Imagine if she says no, you'll be depressed for a whole week, I know you. Please try to imagine the possibility of her saying no, at least try. It will do wonders for your depression next week. /i /b 

i Not even my own conscience trusts me! Really, if I didn't have myself to praise me, I would be a pretty low self-esteemed bloke! /i , he thought.


	4. Interruptions

Well, here's chapter 4! First of all, let me thank the following people for reviewing!

**Cosmopolitan**: thanks so much for being my first reviewer! Lol, so you don't get confused, here's how I'm writing it: thoughts are in italics! Talking is in quotations. But it's ok, even I get confused sometimes!

**Harlee**: Thanks! I never thought I could make something funny, so I appreciate you thinking it actually was!

**Robster639**: Chapter 4 is here!

**IceQueen135**: Thanks! I promise I will finish, and I'll update whenever I can!

**harry-an-ginny**: totally! lol

**Lauren543**: more chapters are on the way!

Chapter 4 - Interruptions

Remus was staring intently at a girl. A girl with deep blue eyes and long, black midnight hair, to be precise. It was the girl from the train, and he hadn't realized that she was in Gryffindor. He had thought she was in some other house, for surely she was worth noticing.

The nameless girl seemed to be deeply absorbed by a book she was reading. What Remus did not know was that it was one of his favorite muggle books, Anna Karenina. He had read it two years ago while enduring a very tedious summer. He considered going over and talking to her, to at least find out her name, but he was too timid. That was more of a thing Prongs or Padfoot would do. Unfortunately, he didn't have the guts to.

In a second Sirius came in, looking hassled.

"We have got to do something about Prongs, mate. Honestly, he's losing it. The fool asked Lily out again, when he himself said that he wouldn't. He said it was going so well, he just decided to pop the question. As it happens, someone interrupted them, and she didn't even answer the question. But he also mentioned she was struggling with the answer before that someone interrupted him. Oh, and yes, I also found out that they have their own quarters, as they are the Heads. So what do you think, Moony? Could it be true, or is he trying to make himself feel better? And honestly, we should do something about this! It's been going on forever!"

Let's just point out that Sirius did in fact talk extremely fact when he was worried about something. Remus had to concentrate to keep up, and therefore took some time to answer the question in hand.

"Well," he started out slowly, "I do know that Lily is really important to James, and that he would do almost anything to get her to go out with him. And, although I do think she's a great girl, and I understand why James likes her, I do believe it's getting a bit out of hand," he said hesitantly, knowing that comment would bring an explosion from Sirius. He was right.

"Thank you! Finally someone agrees with me! He's too desperate for her; it's not good for him! And once he starts thinking they are friendly with each other, she does this! I really wonder who it was that interrupted them. I mean, imagine if she had said yes1 Prongs would have been ecstatic," he said regretfully.

"Let's not jump to conclusions about what James would do, though, Padfoot. Think about it for a second, and talk to him about it first. Please don't get any crazy idea about what we should do! And don't even think about trying to get him interested in another girl! You know it wouldn't work!" he said severely.

"Yes, I'm sure he completely understands," said Sirius sarcastically. "For once, you are wrong, Moony. You know what James is doing right now. He's pretending to be perfectly fine while devastated inside. And no, I'm not trying to be sentimental, it's just the truth."

After that, Remus got a very thoughtful face and after a while, started smiling slowly.

"I agree with you," he said. After enduring a gasp, and a very shocked face from Sirius, he continued. "For different reasons, though. Let me explain, Padfoot, before you go into a rant. I like Lily - "

"Oh, wonderful, you too?" Interrupted Sirius.

"I like Lily i _as a friend_ /i ," Remus said, emphasizing that last part, "and I also think that she likes James, but can't give in, because that would be admitting defeat for her, and she's too proud for that, so she simply keeps saying no, no matter what her feelings are. In a way, I feel sorry for her," he said sorrowfully. "But, I believe that if we think of a plan to make her jealous, she will eventually give in." He stopped when his friend started talking.

"Wait, let me just try to understand this, mate. Are you engaging in something that is not completely honest, right, and moral?"

"You just had to put it that way, Padfoot, didn't you? But yes, I suppose if you put it that way, yes. I am i _engaging in something that isn't completely moral, honest, and right_ /i !" he said mockingly.

"You will never cease to amaze me. Honestly, who ever would have thought… Well, forget that. You talked about a plan, Moony? Does that wonderful brain of yours offer any ideas? Can you please elaborate on the whole jealousy thing? It is, after all, a very wide topic."

"Very well, let's start. I was thinking of pointing out to James…" They proceeded to plan everything out, without noticing that someone hadn't been reading Anna Karenina for some time now.

i **_Some hours before_** /i 

Just as Lily was turning around to give him an answer, they both heard someone knocking on the door. Looking at James for a few seconds, she gave him an apologizing look and went to see who it was. To James's surprise, the person was the mysterious girl from the train. The one who had gone into the Marauders' compartment by mistake. She was as startling as before, with her expressive blue eyes saying she was uncomfortable at where she was currently.

"Um… I'm really sorry if I interrupted anything. Professor Dumbledore sent me to get you. He said something about… not wanting to miss something that concerns you? I believe that is what he said," she said a little afraid. It was a known fact that being if you were in the company of Lily Evans and James Potter – at the same time, of course –, you would suffer dire consequences. The girl had obviously heard the rumors, and was a bit weary, wondering what they would do next.

Surprisingly, they just nodded and started walking towards the door. The girl went first, then James and Lily.

"Well, let's go, James. I am dying to see why Dumbledore is so bent on having us there, right at this moment," she said, lifting James's spirits just a little by calling him James. He could really get used to it…

"And I wonder why he used that particular student to go get us. It seems strange that out of the whole Great Hall, he had to choose that one person who is not known to anyone…" she muttered to herself.

The black-haired girl had hurried up and had sat herself at the Gryffindor table, away from the Marauders (with the exception of Remus, who wasn't there), so James and Lily were forced to go in alone, with all eyes turned to them.

No one had noticed, but Professor Dumbledore had risen, and was now clearing his throat loudly. All heads rapidly turned to him and he smiled.

"I wanted to take advantage of this moment and present the Head Boy and Head Girl of this year, the Gryffindors James Potter and Lily Evans." Everyone clapped loudly, except the Slytherin table, who was looking at them with a scornful look impossible to describe. The people in it who did clap – Lily and James were liked by almost everyone –, were frozen when they saw Lucius Malfoy's face. They knew it was bad, very bad, to do something that he would disapprove of, so they stopped and looked embarrassed.

Meanwhile Lily and James, mortified, smiled uncomfortably and quickly went to sit at the Gryffindor table. They were in such a hurry to sit down, that they didn't even notice that they had sat next to each other. Lily looked for her friends, and saw that they were looking at her strangely. Suddenly she realized the reason for that.

i _Wonderful, I sat next to Potter! What else could possibly go wrong today? First he asks me out, someone interrupts me just as I'm about to say yes, and now I have to sit next to him without noticing!_ /i , she thought miserably.

She got up discreetly and went to sit with her friends, who were looking at her suspiciously, and started to giggle uncontrollably. i _Great, what will they say now? Probably that I like Potter, like always! Will I tell them about what happened?_ /i she thought sitting down, narrowing her eyes at them. She smiled sweetly before sticking some beef in her mouth.

"So, Prongs, what's going on? You planning on telling us what happened that you both came in at the same time? Not to mention, together? What date is it? I'm definitely marking this day in my calendar. Hey Wormtail, you got a calendar?" He said excitedly. Peter just shook his head and looked at James expectantly.

"So?" He said.

"Well, we have a common room. The Heads' room. We have separate bedrooms, of course, and even separate bathrooms, but we share a common room. Dumbledore took us there, he showed us around, told us the password, which by the way I'll ask if I can change very soon, and then left, telling us that we had to be here, in the Great Hall, in fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, he did i not /i tell us he would send someone when the fifteen minutes had passed…," he said annoyingly.

"So someone showed up?" Asked Peter quite stupidly.

"Yes, Peter, someone showed up. Remember the girl that came broke into our compartment on the train?" They nodded, not understanding one bit.

"Well," James continued, "she was the one that came in. She knocked on the door, and Evans went to answer it. I had asked her out seconds before – "

"What?"

"You're joking, right?"

"Come on, James, you said yourself you weren't going to ask her out again, at least for some time, and five minutes later you do!"

"Yes, well, it just came out. I guess it's a reflex to ask her whenever I see her. It's something I instinctively do. Let me keep going now, and don't interrupt me!" he said threateningly. Sirius put up his hands, as if saying that he hadn't done anything.

"Go ahead, I'm listening," he said.

'Ok, so I asked her, and I could swear she was about to say yes, when that girl showed. But Lily looked as if she was really indecisive, like she was thinking out the pros and cons of saying yes… or no. Well, whichever it was, she couldn't say anything, because we were interrupted…" he said sadly.

"You might want to try to refrain yourself from asking her out for some time now, Prongs. Besides, I thought she was calling you by your first name. I would heartily call that an improvement," said Sirius, patting James in the back.

"But you know what, I really feel sorry for you. I mean, look at you, you're pathetic! I feel, as your best friend, that it is my responsibility to get you out of this. Now I understand what people mean when they say a girl can make you miserable. Honestly, I can't remember a time when you i **_weren't_** /i miserable over Lily… How sad," added Sirius, with a pitying face.

While Peter covered – or tried to – his laugh, James punched his friend in the arm, looking sarcastically appalled.

Unbeknownst to them, they were thoughtfully being watched by a certain girl on the Gryffindor table.


	5. Confusion

Chapter 5 – Confusion

Remus was getting quite annoyed at Sirius. They – or rather Sirius – were looking for possible candidates for James, and the latter would nudge his friend's foot under the table whenever a girl would speak, giving him a questioning gaze, to which Remus answered with an irritated frown.

Ever since that conversation in the common room, they had decided to start, already, to look for girls that James might like. What Moony didn't know was that Sirius would take it to that extent. Even James, seated next to Peter, was looking at them with a funny frown upon his face.

Meanwhile Professor McGonagall was walking around the classroom, giving either advice or words of encouragement to everyone, and looking at the Marauders with – as always – suspicion. When she was back at her desk, she stopped. She cleared her throat, and everyone stopped what they were doing to look at her.

"Well, as you all know, I'm Head of Gryffindor, and it is my job to tell all of you what happens around here, and any important news that you may need to know," she said gravely and hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure whether what she was doing was the right thing to do. "Well, some of you may have noticed that we have a new student –"

"Actually, Professor, we have forty-two new students, and twelve were sorted into Gryffindor. Really, we do know that, seeing as it happens every year and all…" Interrupted Sirius very solemnly.

"Mr. Black, you will refrain from interrupting me in order to recite insignificant facts in the future, I hope," said McGonagall, pursing her lips together tightly.

Sirius looked around indignantly, as if amazed that anyone could have considered his reply offensive.

"Yes, Professor," he said in mock shame. When he looked up he could almost swear he saw Professor McGonagall rolling her eyes.

"Now, if I may continue," she said, looking around the room. "We have a new student i in the seventh year /i ,"she said, emphasizing that certain fact. "She's sitting in this classroom, and her name is Sophie Snow. Miss Snow," she said uncomfortably, "I'm sorry if I'm embarrassing you in any way, but I feel it my duty," she repeated, "to tell my students of any news. And I don't think this has ever happened. Don't you find it interesting?" She said, asking her class, giving them a cheerful, encouraging look.

Getting no response, the Transfiguration teacher went on. "Miss Snow, would you like to tell your story?" She said, looking at a pale girl in the front of the classroom, who by now everyone had assumed she was the famous Sophie Snow.

"Umm, no Professor, that's quite all right," she said, looking rather mortified.

"Well, fine," said McGonagall, sounding irritated. "But I will tell you this. Miss Snow comes from Beauxbatons, so if any of you want to ask her anything about that, I'm sure it's fine by her. I hope that doesn't embarrass you, Miss Snow?" She asked, very innocently.

"No, not at all," Sophie replied, putting on a forced smile.

"I'm glad, I'm glad," answered the professor, looking at the black clock on the wall. "Well, class dismissed! And make sure you all make the new student feel welcome," she said, as if the i new student /i weren't there. "We'll continue working on human transfiguration next class, so practice!" She said as the students stormed out. "Mr. Black!" she yelled, making Sirius start to tremble.

"Yes, Professor?" he said without turning around.

"Come here, fast!" Slowly, with a thousand thoughts running through his head, he turned and started walking towards her, putting on his best smile.

i Oh, my God, she's going to kill me and give me a thousand detentions for having made fun of her… Think of an excuse, Padfoot, think of many, she won't believe them anyways. Verbal diarrhea, Peter, miraculously, learned how to use a wand… I give up, /i he thought as he was getting closer to the teacher.

"How can I help you, Professor McGonagall?" He asked, hiding perfectly well his fear.

"As a matter of fact, there is a favor I wanted to ask of you. There is no obligation to do it, though I shall be a bit disappointed if you don't take up this responsibility. I'm sure you had noticed that we had a new student –"

"Yes, about that, Professor, I'm really sorry. I didn't really mean to make fun of you at all, I was just –"

"Yes, yes, just don't do it again, and we'll be fine."

i Maybe she's bipolar, /i thought Sirius, surprised. "May I ask why she's new in her seventh year? That's a little unusual, isn't it?" He asked curiously.

"You may ask, seeing as you'll be involved with her, at least in my class. She transferred from Beauxbatons. Don't ask why, the details are unknown to me. I believe only Professor Dumbledore knows everything about it. Anyhow, what I wanted you to do is to help her around in this class. The Headmaster has requested it of every teacher, and I think it's quite a good idea, considering. So, do you accept this charge?" She asked expectantly.

"Umm… yes, I suppose. But I have a question –"

"Not now, Mr. Black, I have an important meeting in ten minutes. You can ask your question later. Thank you for taking this up. Next class, I will assign partners, and, of course, you two will be together. Good-bye." With that, she left the room, leaving Sirius thinking that it was entirely possible that Professor McGonagall was bipolar.

Once back in the common room, Sirius told the Marauders what McGonagall had told him.

"So she wants you-"

"To help her-"

"With the new student?" Ended Peter.

"And you didn't ask her why?" Asked James, really confused by what he had just heard.

"I told you, she had to go to some vital meeting, and she just left after she told me this piece of news. It's really strange, I know."

"What is the strangest of all – no offense meant, Padfoot, please don't let this lower your self-esteem – is that she chose you. Forgive me, my friend, but i you /i are not exactly the most exemplary person she could have chosen. Honestly, what are you next to… say, Lily?" He said, looking with pity at Sirius.

"Thank you for that wonderful speech, Prongs. Although I should be letting this lower my self-esteem, I happen to be as shocked as you. I don't know, maybe McGonagall has taken a special liking to me…," he said teasingly.

"That is something that not many people would be jealous of," said James, making gagging sounds.

"Ok, this is getting a bit strange, mind if I change topic? Let's talk about… say, the new girl, Sophie Snow," said Remus curiously.

"She's definitely pale. The name suits her," joked James.

"Besides that, isn't it odd that she transferred right on the last year? You would think she wanted to finish it at her school," said Remus, stroking his chin.

"I suppose she would, but maybe she had no choice, right? I mean, she doesn't exactly look happy, does she?" Asked Sirius, getting a faraway look in his eyes.

"Who would be happy, after that whole thing McGonagall made her go through today? i Would you like to tell your story, Miss Snow? /i You would think after the fifth time asking her, she would understand that no, she didn't want to tell her story," said James, sounding irritated.

"Maybe Dumbledore wanted her to. Everyone knows she adores him and would do anything to please him," said Peter, trying to fit into the conversation.

"That could be true, Peter. I feel rather sorry for the poor girl," said Sirius, looking indeed sad.

"No! I must be hearing things, I'm sure. Sirius Black, feeling pity for someone? I'm surprised. What made you say i that /i ?" Inquired James, getting warning glances from Remus.

"You know I'm not like my family. And besides, she looked so miserable…," he said, drifting, somewhat ignoring his best friend's joke about him.

Meanwhile, the three remaining were giving each other glances of worry.

Sophie Snow was having too many thoughts in her head. She had a secret, and keeping it was eating her inside out. What could she do?

i Professor McGonagall definitely ruined all my chances of making any friends, /i she thought. i Everyone's going to think I'm a total freak. And then that other bloke, who kept making all those jokes, thinking he was funny. He and all those friends of his. I can't believe I was embarrassed like that! /i she thought again. i I mean, really, was there any need to do that? Miss Snow, Miss Snow, tell us about your experience in Beauxbatons, will you? No, I will not! And I know there are people who will make fun of me for my last name and how pale I am! /i 

Just then a girl came into the dormitories, in the middle of that whole thinking process.

"Hi," said Sophie uncertainly, trying to remember the name of the redhead.

"Hi… I'm Lily, in case you were wondering. And I know your name, don't worry," said Lily, speaking fast.

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure you do," muttered Sophie.

"All right, I have to go, I just came to get this," said Lily, swinging a paper in her hand. "It was nice meeting you, Sophie. I hope you get used to Hogwarts, it's really wonderful," she added as she left out the door.

i Nice beginning to a new year, /i the pale girl thought miserably.

"So, thought of anyone?" Asked Sirius, looking around the cozy room.

"Well, I've been thinking. You know that new girl, Sophie?" Said Remus tentatively.

"Yeah, what about her?" Said Sirius, almost menacingly, as he narrowed his eyes.

"I think she would make a good candidate," said Remus resolutely.

Sirius immediately looked up, suspiciously. "And who gave you that marvelous idea?" He questioned. "Is she really James's type?" He said, as if trying to dissuade his friend.

"Why not? She's pretty, new, hasn't had any past relationships here… I definitely think he'd be interested. So what do you think?" He asked at last.

"If you think it'll work, Moony… I leave it up to you! We all know you're the brains of all our operations, don't we?" He said flatteringly, giving a sweeping bow.

"Take your places, if you please, all of you!" Said a plump, median-aged man. "Slytherin and Gryffindor, I know it's hard for you two to get along, but could you please try to behave this time? You should all try to act like Miss Evans more often," he said, looking proudly at Lily.

"If only we could all act like Miss Evans here, Professor Slughorn! The world would be a better place," said James, receiving an annoyed glare from the redhead in return.

"There, there now…" Said Slughorn, while screening the students with his small eyes. Suddenly his gaze stopped, and came across the new student, Sophie.

"Well, hello there! Do I know you? You are…" He said, giving her a chance to reply.

"Sophie Snow, sir. I'm new," she said timidly.

"Yes, I supposed you were the one. Very well, welcome! We shall split ourselves up in partners of two today, class! And no, Mr. Black, you shall not choose them yourself! I will personally tell you who you're with. First of all, let's give Miss Snow the special treatment and partner her up first, with… Mr. Snape!" He said, looking at a greasy haired teenager who had been thoroughly immersed in a book. "As one of my best students, you shall be partnered to Miss Snow, and I trust you shall inform her correctly?" He asked, looking extremely pleased with his decision.

"Me, Professor? You're partnering her up with me? Whatever, I don't care," he said, sounding interested in spite of himself.

"Marvelous! Would you mind moving next to Mr. Snape, Miss Snow?" Said Slughorn, motioning for Sophie to move.

Sophie, with the weight of many secrets un her shoulders, looked at the rest of the class, saw every single student looking at her with pity in his eyes, and thought to herself that this couldn't possibly get any worse.


	6. Full of Surprises

Author's Note at the end of the chapter, guys!

Chapter 6 – Full of Surprises

"She bravely goes up to him, wondering how someone can possibly have that much grease in his hair, sits next to him, and… smiles? Moony, why the hell is she smiling at him?" exclaimed Sirius, interrupting his own commentary with startled eyes. "Is there a reason why she didn't see his greasy hair, the way nobody seems to like him, or how he's not exactly smiling back?"

Everyone else was as surprised as Sirius. The person most surprised of all, however, was Severus Snape. Why is she smiling at me? Doesn't she know I'm the most hated person at Hogwarts? Better to stay away from this one… Clearly insane, he thought curiously.

He'll be my partner for the rest of the year, I might as well make it pleasant, thought Sophie.

Sirius watched this all with a curious eye, wondering why each teacher seemed to be appointing a partner to Sophie.

Preparing for Transfiguration class later on the afternoon, the four Marauders sat crunched at a table. They were wondering how McGonagall was going to manage being subtle about his partnership, as Sirius liked to call it.

"This is my theory," he stated. "She'll say her name first, and then say, 'Miss Snow, I will partner you up with my best student. It was a hard decision to make, but he's really the best choice. He will help you with anything you need, and any questions that present themselves to you. Here is Sirius Black,' and of course there will be applause all over the place. You know, the usual." By the time he was done, he had a dreamlike look on his face, and it took a lot of self control over the Marauders to keep from laughing. Even then, small giggles managed to come out from their mouths.

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked in, with her usual emerald robes and speedy walk. "Today, as we are still in the first week of class, we will be doing some revision of the most basic things from last year. I trust you all remember them, and if you don't, hope to have a good partner. Before I give out the instructions, your partners are written on the board," she said, tapping the board lightly. "Get to them, fast."

Every name appeared on the board, matched to another.

Right after Eric Lovet, matched to Peter Pettigrew, came Sirius Black, matched to Sophie Snow. That caused quite a stir, but not as much as the next match: James Potter and Lily Evans. Each person paused what he or she was doing, and looked from one to the other. Something quite different from what was expected happened, however. The two people in question locked glances, gave a small nod each, and walked towards each other, getting to work quietly. This show of civility didn't seem to be enjoyed by the pupils, who instead decided to observe Sirius's charming non-success with Sophie.

Sirius had stridden over to Sophie confidently, as was his way, and introduced himself. Sophie, as was her way, had extended her hand and timidly introduced herself. Now Sirius really was proud that McGonagall had chosen him as her partner, and decided to do everything he could to not mess it up. Because of that, he was being the most obvious and dim witted comments in his life.

"So I hear you used to live in France, Sophie. Do you know French?" He asked, flinching at his own words.

Now this question really astonished Sophie, having heard that Sirius Black was known for his funny, sarcastic jokes. "Having lived in France my whole life, I would say that yes, I know French."

That sounded a tad strange to Sirius. Her whole life? Then why was it she didn't have a hint of an accent? He decided to voice his opinion out loud.

"Your whole life, really? Then how, if I may ask, do you speak English so perfectly?" He asked, formulating his question in a way that might be considered flirting.

"Practice makes perfect, I suppose," she offered, her tone advising not to persist.

Sirius was starting to think that Sophie Snow was nothing like they had imagined her to be. She wasn't exactly shy, and she definitely wasn't James's type. He would talk to Remus about it. He was startled when she heard the voice of his partner again.

"So is it me, or does no one like Severus?" she inquired curiously, with a change in her tone of voice.

"Well, he's not very beloved among his fellow students, if that's what you mean. He can be very… repulsive, sometimes. You did see his hair, didn't you? And his abnormally sized nose?"

She laughed, making Sirius feel proud. "Well, I suppose he doesn't make for a very good first impression. Personally, though, I think he could have been much worse. And I'm not about to start judging people I don't even know yet. Especially when I'm new here," she said reasonably.

"Not even someone who is called Snivellus to his face?" asked Sirius shamelessly.

Allowing a small giggle, Sophie responded, "Snivellus? Very creative, but no. Not even someone who is nicknamed Snivellus," she said in between laughs.

Neither of them was aware that they provided an entertaining picture, the tall boy and the petite new girl, both with alarming black hair, to the rest of the class.

Meanwhile, the other couple was waiting quietly for Professor McGonagall to speak, and was enduring a bit of an awkward moment.

"May I ask what you're thinking of with such a solemn face, Miss Evans?" asked James teasingly.

"I was thinking that Sirius and Sophie seem to be having a good time," she said seriously, sparking from her reverie.

James started to answer but was cut short by Professor McGonagall, who had begun to give out directions.

"Today we will be reviewing human transfiguration. It's important, which is why I want to make sure you haven't forgotten. If you have, I want you to practice until you have it perfect. You should know that it will be crucial for your N.E.W.T.s," she said gravely. "Learn it."

Being reminded of the N.E.W.T.s so early in the year put everyone on their toes, and they started to practice fervently. Soon enough, they were turning each other into rabbits with wings before they knew it.

James and Lily just looked at each other for a second, and then shrugged.

"What animal would you like to be, Evans?" asked James, wondering what she would choose.

"An owl, I suppose," she replied, after pondering about it for a few seconds.

"Wise animals, I hear," said James.

With a lazy flick of his wand, Lily was turned into a reddish brown colored owl. She flew around the room for a minute or so before settling down on the table again. She nodded as a sign to James, telling him she wanted to be turned back.

James concentrated for a moment, looking as if he were trying to remember the spell. When he finally looked reassured, he flicked his wand once again, and looked. Nothing had happened. Glancing at the rest of the class with horrified eyes, he turned back to the owl that was slowly beginning to burn holes into his eyes. He smiled at her charmingly, rotated his wrist with energy, and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, not only was Lily still transformed, Professor McGonagall was also standing in front of him, and every pair of eyes in the room was watching him.

"It seems you have encountered a problem with Miss Evans, Mr. Potter. Do you care to explain?" McGonagall asked coolly.

"You see, Professor, it's really quite easy to explain. I would like to clarify the situation, but I feel it would get Miss Evans here a bit nervous, don't you think? But I'll tell you anyways, don't worry," he said as he watched McGonagall's mounting anger. "It's simple, really. I tried to turn her back, and it didn't work. Who would have said, huh, Professor?"

"What could you possibly mean, Mr. Potter, you couldn't turn her back? You turned her into an owl, and couldn't turn her back to her normal self?" she asked, getting irritated.

"That seems to be the problem, yes," replied James easily. "I'm sure that a person with your remarkable capabilities would be able to turn her back. Am I right, Professor?" he said, attempting to hide the concern in his voice.

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, pointed her wand at owl-Lily, and said Animalis Verto! Everyone waited expectantly for several seconds, just to see nothing happening.

"I'm sorry, Miss Evans. I seem to be unable to turn her back as well. Mr. Potter, since you are the one who turned her into this… state, you will be responsible for taking care of her. Eventually, hopefully soon, we will find a solution for turning her back. I would like you two to go see the Headmaster. Maybe he'll tell you what you can do. For now, I can't tell you anything else you can do. Good luck to both of you," she said finally.

Everyone could see, in James's face, a look of pure shock and embarrassment. And if anyone could have defined Lily's face, they would have seen the same look.

A/N: Hey, everyone! I know it's been forever, and I've probably lost the majority of my readers, but I want you guys to know that I haven't abandoned the story. I have one more chapter written that I'll post as soon as I can see that at least someone is reading this. Basically, as long as I get one review for this chapter, I'll post the next one. Thanks for reading!


	7. Trying To Cope

Lily and James attempt to live with their new roles.

Trying To Cope

As the day drew by, rumors of a certain Transfiguration class's happenings began to spread around Hogwarts. Every turn he made and every corridor he crossed, James heard a different story.

"I heard he kissed her and then she suddenly turned into an owl," said one pale fourth year.

"I saw it with my own eyes! The wands connected, a strange liquid came out of the girl's wand and with a pop, she transformed into a red owl," said an intimidating seventh year.

A crowd was formed around a small first year who swore that Lily had been turned into a big blue giant.

Meanwhile, James was trying to cope with the truth. Lily had been turned into a completely normal looking owl, by him, and there was no discernible way of turning her back to her usual self.

Now, James was forced to attend every class with an auburn owl that continued to glare at him with the eyes of an assassin. To make his life even easier, Lily would often wander about, occasionally to go see her friends, and it usually fell to James to find her.

Try as he could, he could not think of any possible way of turning her back to normal. Although at first he had been a bit happy about the outcome of the transformation, he soon realized Lily was only a nuisance, and he much rather preferred to be around his friends.

Unfortunately, being around Lily twenty-four hours a day was not the only thing he had had to become accustomed to. Lily refused to constantly eat bread and biscuits, so she forced James to prepare her breakfast, lunch, a snack, and dinner every single day. He also had to stand her friends asking him, twice per every hour, whether he had found a way to "cure" Lily.

His own friends, who were supposed to stand by him at all times, were being quite critical of him. If James was hoping to find sympathy, he was better off with Snape than with Sirius, whose favorite choice of words for James were "such a git."

"I know you're in love with the girl, Prongs, but did you have to go and turn her into an owl? Isn't that a bit extreme, even for you?" he constantly asked, shaking his head at James.

In simple words, the very much awaited visit to Dumbledore came slowly to both seventh years.

Every day they went to McGonagall's office (probably the only thing they could both truly agree on), but they were curtly told that the Headmaster was away on one errand or another.

Lily was continually thinking about how she had gotten into this incredible mess, and how long it would be before she could finally get out of it. She couldn't stop thinking about all the problems this posed, including all the extra work she would have to do to catch up with the rest of her class.

Another, more curious and less rational side of her, was glad this had happened. It was a way to get out of her structured routines, and, more importantly, a chance for her to meet the real James Potter, one without any Snape to bring out his malicious side, or any crowds of people to bring out his sly remarks.

The worst reminder of what had happened occurred a few days later, when they attended Transfiguration once again. The same people were partnered up, meaning that not only were Lily and James together again (for obvious reasons), but Sophie and Sirius were also partners.

Lily's green owl eyes became rather startled when girls began asking her what she had done to avoid being turned back to her normal self. The realization that someone would want to get into that mess intentionally was clearly a surprise.

As McGonagall finished repeating the assignment for the second time for the dim-witted in the class, she called Lily and James up to her desk. Those who dared snicker when she said Miss Evans were silenced by one look from James's eyes.

"The Headmaster would like to see both of you in his office. I trust you know the password, Mr. Potter?" she asked.

Many smart retorts came to James's mind, but he thought this situation to be too serious for such mannerisms, and contented himself with a "Yes, Professor."

Relief and anxiety showed in two pairs of eyes as legs and wings traveled numerous halls on the path to Dumbledore's office. Thoughts raced at amazing speeds, measuring all possibilities, their probabilities, and their consequences.

Lily dreamed of being back into her regular human form, being able to walk once again – flying was all very well, but she could barely carry herself by the end of every day. Talking was now high on her list of privileges: she had never realized how much she used dialogue to communicate in a normal day. She felt as if she were all bottled up, ready for all her feelings to simply explode.

James would be glad to finally have time to himself, and he would have to be out of his friends' mocking radar – although not completely. Gossip would still be flying about Hogwarts even weeks after the incident, and James just hoped that Lily would not hold such a grudge against him.

They finally arrived, and both paused at the marble staircase, trusting that within an hour they would be back to their regular lives. Lily was waiting expectantly, but James would not budge. In an attempt to remind him that he was the one to be emitting words from his mouth, she began poking him in his arm. He looked in her direction and grinned.

"I just want to tell you, Evans, that I apologize for everything I've done. I know it has not been the, well, ideal, way to start the term. But you can't say that it lacked originality! I swear, that when I transformed you, I never thought this would happen. If people have convinced you that it's one of our pranks, then I can probably do little to make you believe otherwise, but I want to tell you that it was not a prank, and it happened completely accidentally," he said in a serious tone.

Changing the mood, he said, "You know, I think this is the first time I've ever talked to you for such a long time, without you calling me a prat. It's really a refreshing experience."

He laughed when Lily poked him once again.

"Just remember, this is Dumbledore we're talking to. If he doesn't know how to solve this, no one else will. We'll have to figure it out with our humble little brains."

With that, he said "Lemon drops," and looked up as the staircase moved.

As they approached the wooden door that led to the Headmaster's office, they gave a start when they saw it being opened by a wrinkled hand.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans. Come in, come in," he said as he opened the door widely for them.

"I trust you have been having a good beginning of term, and that you are enjoying your Head quarters," he said calmly.

"We have been, sir, yes. The quarters are splendid, really, thank you," said the Head Boy, stealing a quick look at the owl perched on the mahogany table.

"My dear Professor McGonagall tells me you have encountered some inconveniences in her Transfigurations class, and that neither she nor any of you were able to solve it," said Dumbledore, as if he were speaking of a harmless cold.

"Well, yes, Professor, you see, we were doing human transfigurations. Unmistakably, I turned Evans – Miss Evans, that is – into an owl, and I was unable to turn her back, despite my many efforts. That's really all there is to it," said a restless James.

Dumbledore uttered only two words: "I see." Then he entered a pensive state, with James and Lily observing him for any change in his expression. When he seemed to be about to speak, both students held their breaths.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter," he said with a nod at Lily's direction, "I am afraid I am not able to amend your current condition."

Lily's eyes became wide as plates the moment these words left Dumbledore's mouth.

"Oh, do not worry, Ms. Evans, we can solve this in a very simple way. You see, since Mr. Potter was the one who cast the spell, he will have to remember exactly what he was thinking of the moment he uttered the incantation. Until that memory is recalled, you will stay an owl. I would advise you to enjoy it while you can. The feeling of the wind beneath your wings is one of the greatest I have ever experienced. So don't be daunted! I am sure Mr. Potter here will remember in no time!"

We have to figure it out with our humble little brains, thought both Heads.


End file.
